Where We Go From Here

Posted in Party Ideas by

Since my wedding, I’ve been asked several times if I plan to keep blogging  and what I will be blogging about. I do plan to keep blogging, but what about is still yet to be worked out completely.

I really enjoyed finding adorable gifts, decorations, dresses ect. as they related to weddings, but now I feel like my scope needs to broaden.

So in addition to writing about my day-to-day life and adventures in cooking, I plan to continue to share some of my favorite party finds. For example, I came across this “Vintage Toy” child’s birthday party theme on www.thoughtfullysimple.com and had to share.

The party was designed by Bella Grace Party Designs and has to be one of the most adorable themes ever! I need someone in my life to have a baby so I can have a reason to buy one of those vintage radio flyers. Any takers?

Anyway….expect more of this from me.

Also, if there’s topics you’d like me to tackle, (like how I snagged a good man or how I am eating like a caveman or what it’s like to be taller than your teachers in 5th grade) let me know.

Now that our wedding is over, I will be looking for content to keep you all reading. :)

Lamb Loin Chops and Spaghetti Squash

Posted in Sunday Supper Series by

We recently bought a Groupon for $20 for $40 of groceries at Fox & Obel, and decided to use it on some really good cuts of meat. We landed on the lamb loin chops, which certainly did not disappoint.

I did a really simple preparation of the lamb using ingredients we had around the apartment starting with a garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper “rub.”

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I then seared the lamb in some olive oil for two minutes on each side, until the outside was brown and charred. After setting the meat aside to rest, I added some more olive oil, minced garlic and onions – making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get up any of the left behind fat.

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Once the onions were cooked, I added a bit more olive oil, water and a pinch of flour to thicken up the sauce. Then I returned the chops to the pan, coverd and simmered on low heat for 30-40 minutes.

While the meat was cooking, I worked on the spaghetti squash. If you haven’t seen this vegetable before, it’s usually found in the produce section near the other squash. Here’s what is looks like…

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Cooking spaghetti squash is really simple. Just cut it in half and cook (with the inside part on the greased pan) for 40 minutes. Once cooled, take a fork and scrape the inside of the squash so you get “spaghetti.”

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The shredded squash tastes surprisingly a LOT like real pasta. With just 42 calories per cup it is so much healthier than spaghetti. You can cook the squash with any sauce, toppings or seasonings you like. I chose crispy pancetta, butter and plain old S&P.

I had to include one food-porn shot of the pancetta cooking. YUMMMM

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The results were perfectly tender, juicy lamb and “al dente” spaghetti squash with lots of savory, salty pancetta. I only wish there was more meat on the lamb! I could have eated it all night.

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I think I found my favorite vegetable…spaghetti squash is awesome! Have you guys tried it before?

Settling Into Married Life

Posted in Cohabitation, Married Life, Wedding Planning by

Well…it’s over! Luke and I are back from our honeymoon and getting settled into married life. I was a little sad the day after our wedding, but in general I have not experienced the dreaded post-wedding depression I’ve heard many brides go through.

People have been asking me, “Is it terrible being back, knowing it’s over?” and the answer is honestly “not at all!” In fact, it feels so good to have my LIFE back.

For the past seven months much of my focus has been on our wedding and all the preparations for the day. It is really amazing to be able to come home and not have any place cards, programs or vendors to deal with. Now my time is spent on things I love doing like reading, cooking, being with friends ect.

Not to say that I am HAPPY our wedding is over…trust me, I would re-live that day over and over again if I could. It was such a wonderful 24 hours. It’s just nice to have a calmer life with more free-time.

Moving in together has been a seamless adjustment so far. It’s nice knowing I get to wake up and come home to Luke everyday. In fact, it’s given me more time to spend with my friends and pursue my own interests apart from Luke because we no longer have to plan when and where we’ll see each other.

Luke’s been a dream to live with so far. I’m not surprised though, he’s incredibly thoughtful. There’s been a pretty even distribution of “chores” (in my mind at least), but Luke’s gone above and beyond to show me he cares like:

– Setting the coffee timer so there’s a fresh pot for me when I wake up after he’s left

– Cooking dinner and NOT making me do the dishes

– Putting his clothes for work out the night before so he can get ready in the morning without waking me at 6am

– Letting me watch my trashy reality TV shows instead of Stossel or Breaking Bad. Thank goodness for DVR! :)

People say the first year of marriage is the hardest. So far, if that’s true, then we’re going to have the breeziest life together. I’m sure we’ll run into co-habitation annoyances sooner or later, but right now all is good.

Many thanks to you all for your kind comments and well-wishes during our wedding. I read them all and felt very loved and supported by my wonderful readers.

Have a relaxing weekend!